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Is it worth it to buy a fur coat made of dyed fur.

On the eve of the upcoming winter season, let's talk about how to distinguish a mink coat from a fake. Fur is an expensive pleasure, and giving a lot of money for a fake or illiquid is doubly insulting. But don't worry! The experts of the Furs of Russia portal will guide you along the most winding path to a meeting with your favorite and desired mink coat.

How to identify mink fur

Mink belongs to the highest category of valuable furs along with sable, lynx, chinchilla and is distinguished by increased wear resistance. A mink coat is worn for at least 6-8 winters, and can last 10-14 seasons.

It was for the beauty and durability that the mink was so fond of. But the quality varies, as does the price. The quality is mainly affected by the age of the fur, part of the skin and the type of mink: European, Scandinavian, American, etc. Fur coats are sewn from different parts. From the back they are more expensive, from foreheads and tums - cheaper.

Self-assessment of fur quality

Let's try to determine the quality ourselves. The method is suitable for individual skins, and for the product as a whole.

1. We evaluate by touch.

Good quality fur feels smooth and soft to the touch. Moderately pliable, the villi should return to their original position when you run your hand over it. Should prick a little. Less wear-resistant fur, the same rabbit, softer and not prickly. Look also at the undercoat, whether it is thick enough.

Important: Good fur does not need to be dyed. Cut and color to mask imperfections.

2. Look at the undercoat.

Mink is winter and summer. They differ in pile and undercoat. Winter has a thicker undercoat, it is warmer in it, and it costs less. The summer mink has a smoother, even and shiny appearance, the undercoat is smaller, and it costs more.

3. We check the core.

Mezdra - the lower part of the skin. She talks about age. Choose only products and skins with a light elastic core. Dark, brown - indicates the old age of the fur.

4. Evaluate visually.

Look at the coat or skin in general. Fur should be uniform, even. The fur from the back is denser and smoother. Foreheads, tummies and other parts are less durable and beautiful. But they are significantly cheaper.

Important: In the product from the backs, the joints and undercoat are absolutely not visible. It gives the impression of a cast skin. A fur coat from parts looks like it is sewn from small semicircles, it looks like it is wavy.

How not to buy a rabbit instead of a mink?

The rabbit is more suitable as a cheap analogue of the chinchilla, especially the Rex breed. But he is also given out for a mink, usually for a sheared one. The rabbit is a good animal. It grows fast and is soft to the touch. Its price is one of the lowest in the fur market. It is not at all shameful for a young girl to have a vest or a purse made of rabbit. It is worse if, under the guise of an expensive and high-quality mink, they offer a rabbit fur coat. Lack of experience leads to the purchase of such "mink coats". But this can be avoided. You must call on the help of vigilant eyes and a skeptical attitude.

You can tell a rabbit from a mink by eye. Rabbit fur is soft and fluffy. Looks like cotton balls. Virtually no undercoat. To bring the rabbit closer to the shorter pile of the mink, it is plucked. Move the pile apart, look at it inside, if there is an undercoat.

Look at the color. The rabbit is solid, while the mink has fine white hairs. The fur coat itself does not "play" in the sun and it does not have shine.

Next test - to the touch. Rabbit is much softer than mink. Feel more fur coats, after 10 you will understand where the fur is soft and where it is harder.

Important: Sheared mink is prickly to the touch with trimmed guard hairs, and the rabbit still remains soft.

The difference between a good mink coat

A good mink coat looks expensive and rich. Quality can be seen in everything: cut, tailoring, details and the level of the fur itself. The fur coat should be sewn from solid plates, from the backs. This is the most durable and beautiful option.

Sometimes a fur coat is sewn in dissolution. For this technology, the skins are cut in a herringbone pattern and sewn back together. On the one hand, the fur coat has a sort of flying silhouette, but, on the other hand, the product itself is less durable. With poor-quality tailoring, furrows may appear after the first season. When choosing such a model, pay special attention to the quality of the seams.

Nice coat, well made. No loose threads, semi loose seams. The seams should not be visible at all. Dear lining. After all, a fur coat is bought for many years, and the lining should also not wear out ahead of time.

Pay attention to the style. Super trendy tailoring may look outdated in 1-2 seasons. If you do not plan to change your fur coat often, give preference to the classics.

Important: According to statistics, the most popular fur coat model is knee-length and with a hood. It is warm and no need to buy a hat.

A good fur coat is unlikely to be sewn in handicraft production. The master must understand furs, be able to select skins by color and quality for one product, know all the subtleties of technology. Knowledge and skills are acquired over the years and no one will exchange them for sewing low-grade products. Large salons work directly with well-known factories, offering customers the best models.

Before buying, do not be too lazy to check the mink coat

So we come to an exciting moment: we like the fur coat, the price is right, it remains only to go through our checklist.

1. Shake your coat rattles or not, or squeeze the edge, listen to the rustle. The sounds will tell you if the fur was overdried or the dressing technology was not followed.

2. Blow on the pile and touch the entire surface with your hands. You should not find creases by touch, you need a soft fur coat.

Important: Creases on the core lead to holes and rapid wear.

3. Run your palm over the fur or gently tug at the hairs. Nothing should remain in the hands, and the fur should quickly return to its previous position.

Important: Do not believe the assurances that the fur is shedding because the fur coat has been folded for a long time or has not been worn. Fur climbs due to violations of production technology or the mink was obtained during molting.

4. Look at the look, how the same color throughout the product, smooth color transitions.

5. Run a white napkin over the fur coat or a handkerchief. They must remain clean. So you can check if the fur is dyed or not.

6. Look at the core, by lifting the hem at the lining, if it is not sewn, or by pushing the fur from the outside. Take a fur coat only with a light skin, which indicates the absence of paint and young fur.

Important: there is an opinion among buyers that the lining of a fur coat should not be sewn on, otherwise it is a fake. Let's dispel this myth. The manufacturer decides whether or not to sew on the lining, and many eminent designers and factories sew it on, which does not detract from the merits of designer products.

7. Smell. There should be no chemical odors. Another "bell" of dyed fur. Also, you should not feel the stale animal fat, this is an indicator of a violation of the technological process.

Important: sometimes the mezra remains light even when painted. This happens when applying the technology of dyeing with bleaching or when lightening. Then trust your sense of smell.

8. Look under your armpits. They will give out a seller who is trying to sell a used fur coat.

Important: Wrinkled armpits indicate a worn product.

9. Look at the seams, they must be strong and durable; also the quality of the lining fabric, and how it is sewn.

Important: the perfect lining is sewn by hand through the bias tape.

10. Read the label. It must contain the serial number and country of origin of the fur, the address of the manufacturer and other contacts.

Important: There will still be a separate label for the auction fur.

And finally, no matter how trite it may sound, buy fur coats in trusted places. Well-known trading houses and brands do not sacrifice their reputation for the dubious profits from the trade in low-quality fur, in the long run it will come out more expensive.

Do you prefer fur coats of bright, rich colors, but are you afraid that dyed fur will last much less than natural fur? Or maybe, on the contrary, you like exclusively natural shades, because you think that such products are of better quality? In fact, buying colored or natural fur is a matter of taste. However, it is important to distinguish here for what purpose the fur was dyed.

Why is fur dyed?

To hide defects. If the skin has been dressed incorrectly, dyeing will lead to an even greater deterioration in its quality. The hair will be weaker in the core, become more brittle and quickly lose its luster. The mezdra (the reverse side of the skin) will become less elastic, it can become very thin, which will lead to its breaks.
To fake cheap fur for a more expensive and valuable one. This is done by unscrupulous manufacturers who are pursuing an increase in profits for any purpose. Most often groundhog or rabbit fur. The nutria is “disguised” as a beaver (the latter has thicker down and a longer awn, the fur is more fluffy). A rabbit is given out for an expensive chinchilla (a chinchilla has thick fur and looks like fluff, since several hairs grow from one bulb at once; also, chinchilla skins are much smaller than rabbit skins, the size of one skin is no larger than a palm). Instead of a silver fox, you can easily buy a bluefrost (the pile of the latter is two-colored, and in the silver fox it is gray at the base, white in the middle and black at the tips).
To give the fur integrity, saturation, uniform shade. To do this, the skins are subjected to tinting, due to which the natural shade is enhanced and the product becomes more attractive.
To implement various. It is painted in pink, blue, green and other colors that are not found in nature. Such manipulations with fur allow you to create incredibly beautiful, bright products. For example, in the style of patchwork.
To imitate the color of exotic animals, such as a leopard. It is clear that not everyone has the financial opportunity to purchase a real lynx or leopard fur coat, but you really want to stand out. For this reason, screen staining has become so popular.

How to determine if the fur is dyed?

If you choose natural-colored products as a matter of principle, you definitely need to know how to determine if the skin has been dyed. Distinguishing dyed fur can be difficult - modern dyeing methods nullify all recognition methods. However, you can try to do this using the following recommendations:

The reverse side of the skin (mesdra) should have a white or matte cream shade. Brown, black or red color will indicate that the skin has been dyed or it is old (it will also be hard, rustling).
If the lining is tightly sewn and there is no way to evaluate the color of the mezdra, blow on the fur. An undyed fur coat will have a light shade of skin, but a dyed one will have it depending on the color of the paint (for example, black).
Run a damp cloth over the fur - if it is dyed, you have a dyed fur coat in front of you.
If the color is uniform, of the same intensity, throughout the product, there is no transition from the undercoat to the awn, there are no villi that are defective in color (for example, among the dark ones one is light), with a high probability the fur was dyed or tinted.

Even if you prefer exclusively natural shades, but the chosen fur coat has obviously been dyed, do not worry! With the right dyeing, “output” fur is obtained, which is characterized by all the advantages of natural, but which at the same time looks very elegant and attractive! And in order to buy a product, the quality of which you will have no doubts about, choose fur coats from well-known fur factories in specialized salons. If in any doubt, ask the seller to provide you with quality certificates, which will indicate which fur was used to sew a particular model.

! Our catalog contains products from more than 22 types of fur from well-known Russian, Greek and Italian manufacturers. Waiting for you!

“You have been deceived… You have been given one of the finest furs. These are Shanghai leopards,” said the unforgettable Ostap Bender when he examined the fur of a dyed rabbit. And, so far, most people try not to deal with dyed fur, remembering, precisely, this poor rabbit, to which Ellochka tried to give a chic and expensive look.

But is it all that scary? Not at all. The technologies of the modern world allow you to dye the fur in any color, without any loss of quality.

WHAT YOU SHOULD PAY ATTENTION TO.

The main thing is that when choosing a dyed fur, you should pay attention to the very quality of the fur and color.

High-quality painting or tinting of fur products does not leave any traces on the skin and does not affect the quality of goods presented in branded fur stores. And the paint, which sheepskin is processed in production, is intended specifically for fur, and therefore, it does not contain solvents and chemically aggressive components. That is why, freshly dyed real fur can have a slight smell, but never a sharp one.

Most manufacturers paint or tint products to get the most pleasing color. For example, the naturally brown undercoat of the mink is tinted black.

TYPES OF COLORS WHICH ARE THE MOST COMMON.

Fur catalog any online store or company boutique has many options for dyed fur products. What are the main types of staining used today?

"Snow-top" - combines bleaching and dyeing, which allows you to create different colors at the base and tip of the hair. If dyeing is done on light fur, the tips of the hairs remain white. It is possible to color the tips in any color and combine the coloring with a curly haircut, which allows you to achieve a unique and unusual effect.

Also quite often the fur is dyed in parts - on the back of the skin, from tail to nose. This method is called "curly staining of the ridge." The space to be painted can be varied in width and the colors in intensity. Coloring is also combined with bleaching, and silver or golden shades are selected.

A curly haircut is a non-uniform in depth cutting of the outer hair or underfur. Usually such a haircut is made in one or two directions, in the form of horizontal stripes, which are successfully combined with coloring. Velveteen textures are also imitated. Haircut is also widely spread with cutting the guard hair flush with the underfur or its complete removal by plucking.

Graduated dyeing looks quite unusual and original, when the colors change smoothly from head to tail. As a rule, white fur and dark dyes are used for this effect, but it is also possible to lighten the fur with bleach.

With the help of a stencil, various patterns are applied to the furs. Screen dyeing is amazingly combined with curly haircuts and other fur dyeing methods. As a rule, the pattern applied to the fur combines two or three colors.

There is also chaotic and fantasy dyeing, in which the fur is dyed in several tones at the same time (from three to twenty).

Today, there is a huge selection of different painted fur coats, in Moscow which are not difficult to acquire. These products will perfectly warm in the cold, and look amazing on the owners.

What questions arise when buying a mink coat. Why is dyed mink in demand? Prints on fur coats with paint. Technology of painting mink coats.

For those who are well versed in mink, this article may seem boring, but for those young people who dream of buying a chic mink coat and not getting into trouble when choosing such an expensive product, our information will come in handy.

We are often asked the question: “Is the mink dyed or not? And how to determine? The easiest way is to blow on the fur, if the mezra is of a natural light color - skin color - without shades - then the mink is not dyed. If the mezdra has shades of brown, black and even more so blue, this does not mean that the mink was "dark-skinned" or "albino" - one hundred percent - the mink was dyed.

Despite the fact that fur farmers around the world are working every day to increase the number and variety of mink colors, craftsmen involved in fur processing are constantly experimenting with fur, dyeing it in different colors. Most often, traditional immersion dyeing and tinting are used to color mink. . They are especially often used when it is required to obtain an imitation of a more expensive dark brown mink from a mink of a relatively light brown tone. Thus, some manufacturers of fur coats and products may even mislead their customers by presenting dyed mink as a more valuable type of fur. There are other, more complex multi-layer dyeing technologies. For example, a light-colored mink can be dyed with a reservation of the top of the awn, and then the effect of the so-called “snow top” - “snow-top” is obtained on the skin. Mink colors close to wild are very often bleached, creating various shades of “golden” mink. In addition, various methods are often used to enhance the color of the ridges in order to distinguish them from the background of the lighter side of the skin.
At the end of the last century, a real hit was the invention screen-dyed mink. Then the skins of these animals were painted under a leopard, tiger and other tropical predators. Today, with the help of computer staining (it is called digital), any multi-colored patterns can be applied to the mink. The wide possibilities that mink dyeing technology provides for masters make it possible to use this fur even more widely. After all today mink is the only fur from which a single fabric can be sewn, similar fabric and use it not only for making clothes, but also in the interior.
However, when buying a dyed mink fur coat, one must take into account that the effect of chemicals that make up the dyes somewhat changes the properties of the fur. On average, a painted mink can last 4-5 years less than a mink of natural colors. It is possible to determine whether a mink has been dyed by the color of the back of its skin - the core. If the color is natural, then the mezra remains white, but if it is dyed, then the mezra will be colored

The choice of a fur coat is quite a responsible task. You are going to pay a lot of money for a fur product and, naturally, you want it to be of high quality and look great for several seasons. What do you need to know about fur coats and the fur from which they are sewn in order to make your right choice?

What are "plates" and "dissolution"?

The fewer seams, the more primitive the model. The simplest thing is to sew fur coats in a skin. And especially if this skin is large. Fur coats made of pieces can be seen from the fur side, because the height of the hair (roslin) of the pieces will always be different due to the impossibility of selecting a flap according to the topographic areas of the skin in one plate. And the true skill of designers and furriers is manifested precisely in the dissolution of skins.

When sewing "in dissolution" the possibilities of modeling are expanded, the fur product has no visible joints between the skins and looks like a "monolith". The generally recognized leaders of the dissolution are the manufacturers of China and Greece. They produce 95% of all dissolvable products. There is a "figured dissolution", in which a strip of any shape is sewn from a trapezoidal skin.

The dissolution can be called the pinnacle of technological excellence in the production of fur coats. This is the most time-consuming and complex operation in the entire production of fur production. And since in Russia, few people know how to do it well, hence the myths that this is bad. It's not bad - it's difficult and expensive.

Technology

Fur coats in dissolution are fur coats sewn from fur that has passed additional technological stages. During the dissolution of the skins, they are first partially cut diagonally into narrow strips, and then sewn together with a vertical offset. As a result of dissolution or undergrowth, the skins become smaller in width, but longer in length.
What is dissolution technology for? Mink skins have a certain length, which does not always coincide with the longitudinal layout of the fur coat. When a few centimeters are not enough for the desired length of the fur product, full or partial dissolution of the skins is used. The dissolution allows you to save the design of the product, in which the skins are located along. Are these coats worse or better? An alternative to dissolution is to include an additional transverse row of skins in the product. Such fur coats will simply look different, and the choice here is individual. It should be noted that during the dissolution of the fur fabric on the inside, it acquires a characteristic pattern, a “herringbone”, which does not spoil the appearance of the product at all. The only drawback of fur coats sewn into dissolution is that after a few years it will be difficult to redraw them.

Which skins are better - male or female?

All skins are good if they are of high quality. For tailoring fur coats, skins of both females and males are used. For different fur coats, a different layout of fur is used, sometimes it is more profitable to take males (for example, if the thing is short, to the waist), sometimes females. Males have larger skins than females. Accordingly, the skin is thicker. Products from males are more dense, fluffy. They look richer in fur. Products from females are lighter, flowing. It is especially good to use females in long products and in wide, flared fur coats.

How is the dressing and processing of skins?

The skin of a fur-bearing animal goes a long way before getting into the window of a fashion store in the form of a fur coat or coat. The final appearance of a fur product largely depends on processes such as dressing and processing. Therefore, it is very important when dressing fur to preserve its original beauty, fineness, softness and elasticity.

Subtlety is achieved - mezdreniem. Skinning is a mechanical cleaning of the skin tissue from subcutaneous muscles, fat, loose connective tissue. The skins of fur-bearing animals should be soft and easily bent. Manufacturers achieve this with special machines and chemicals.

First, the skin is pre-cleaned and soaked, then the remaining fat is removed. After that, the skin is tanned with various tannins, and then it is cleaned again.

Depilation is a separate technical operation - removing the protective hairline and cleaning the surface of the treated skin to reduce its weight and give it elasticity, and in some cases, as, for example, with the fur of a seal, muskrat, raccoon and beaver, the hairline of the skin is sheared.

The modern fashion industry, aimed at satisfying a wide variety of tastes, offers many ways of processing fur, which are used by manufacturers, both individually and in combination with each other. Conventionally, all methods of processing fur can be combined into two groups: dyeing and shearing.

In recent years, dyed fur has already conquered half of the world market and does not stop there. Used in the past to hide defects, ursole dyeing has now been replaced by acid dyeing, with the help of which new noble colors are created. And the combination of bleaching with dyeing allows you to make more use of furs that are defective in color and create new color effects.

Homogeneous dyeing is used, as a rule, to recolor common types of fur-bearing animals into rare ones, or to create a color that has not yet been bred by breeders.

Fantastic - fantasy dyeing with chaotic mixing on the surface of the skin from 3 to 20 colors.

brush stripe - guidance of the ridge with the application of a strip along the back. The pointing of the ridge on a dark skin with bleaching and, conversely, the creation of a darker stripe along the back on light fur, differ. In this case, you can vary the width of the strip and the smoothness of the color change from the center to the edges.

degradation - dyeing with a smooth change in the intensity of staining in the direction from head to tail. This dyeing technology is applicable to light fur.

snow top - different coloring of the tips and base of the hair. The use of this technology allows you to achieve the so-called "frost effect", frost, or "breeze effect" with a bright difference between the base and ends of the hair.

printing - screen dyeing with various patterns applied to the surface of the hair or skin. Using a paper stencil, one-, two-, less often three-color patterns are applied to the fur.

Trends in modern world fashion, such as the popularity of slim silhouettes and ease of wear, dictate a variety of technologies in the field of changing the structure of fur.

To date, there are several options for cutting fur that changes its natural structure. This is a curly haircut, a uniform haircut and a pinch.

Most common uniform haircut , when the guard hair is cut to the height of the underfur, and pinching - with the complete removal of the guard hair. (ads3)

curly haircut called non-uniform depth cutting of the outer hair or underfur. Usually narrow parallel stripes are cut in 1-2 directions. With the use of this cutting technology, it is possible to imitate velveteen.

Of course, various combinations of various technologies for dyeing and cutting fur give a rich field for the imagination of fur manufacturers. This opens up great opportunities in working with fur, as with a very interesting and promising material, and the range of fur products is also expanding.

Dyeing and shearing - which mink is better: natural, dyed, tinted, sheared?

Many buyers say: "We want to see if the fur is dyed or not." From a professional point of view, this makes no sense for several reasons. Firstly, at present there are technologies for dyeing fur with bleaching of leather tissue (reinforcing) - you cannot distinguish it from undyed fur. Secondly, when fur is lightened or tinted, the core remains light. Thirdly, and most importantly, dyeing fur does not impair its quality.

Currently, 99% of natural black mink is tinted along the underfur, a huge amount of mahogany is dyed “under black”.

Of course, there is a difference between black-dyed mink and natural (albeit tinted) black, but it is purely aesthetic and visible from the fur side. Many people like the completely black color of mink, while in natural black it is brownish, the color of oil. The people called the black tinted mink "black diamond".

In addition to traditional dipping and toning, there are many "complex" multi-layer dyes: light colors are dyed with reservation of the top of the outer hair, obtaining the so-called. "snow tops" - "snow-top", wild-type mink is bleached to a "golden" color. Very often used to enhance the color of natural ridges. The hit of the late 1990s was screen (surface) dyeing of mink to look like a "leopard", "tiger", etc. The latest development of technologists - digital dyeing (the process is under computer control) allows you to apply any multi-colored patterns to the fur.

Designers are constantly trying to change the very texture of mink fur. The most common types of fur processing are plucking and shearing. When pinched, the outer hair is removed, leaving a velvety underfur. When shearing, the awn is shortened, but if you run your hand over the skin, especially against the wool, you will feel a tingling sensation. Most often, a combination of pinching + shearing technologies is used. After the removal of the outer hair, the "velvet" is trimmed to the desired height, or "velveteen" is made from the "velvet" (multi-level cutting technology - "grooving").

Recently, "high" mink processing technologies have become widespread - laser haircut (or rather, burning), in which patterns from hair of different heights are applied to the fur, and through perforation ("lace"). Especially popular is the processing of the skin under the skin and suede for fashionable mink sheepskin coats.

What should be in a fur coat under the lining?

Each buyer considers it his duty to look under the lining. Moreover, if the lining is sewn to the fur coat to satisfy curiosity, the lining is partially undermined. This interesting phenomenon was noted only when buying fur products. When buying a microwave, no one tries to remove the back cover to look inside. And even the reverse side of leather jackets does not interest anyone. Maybe the primitive instinct of a hunter is hidden in this action? The desire not to get into trouble when buying a fur coat is natural. However, to assess the quality, the examination of a fur coat from the mezra by a non-professional is completely pointless . Furriers evaluate skins and finished products from the fur side. The quality of fur dressing has now ceased to be any important criterion. Most fur factories use the same chemicals and technologies. And dry cleaning of finished products with perchlorine practically eliminates the existing small differences. The main task of the furrier in the manufacture of fur cuts is to achieve the best view “from the face”. Therefore, various technological tricks may be present in the skins: patches and patches, dissolutions, etc. The main principle is to do whatever you want, but to make the fur coat look good. An exception that only confirms this rule is double-sided fur products. In such products, the presence of additional seams on the skin is not allowed. The skins are cut in rectangles, the flaps are practically not cut off, minor defects in the fur are not removed. All double-sided things are not perfect on the fur side.

What are "holes" in leather? Is this a marriage? Will the coat break?

Holes (holes) in the leather tissue of the skins appear mainly in three cases. First, traces of labeling of raw materials. Buyers of raw fur, before handing over the goods for dressing, mark it with a special brand, consisting of many needles. This is done in order to avoid possible substitution of skins and to mark one batch of goods. Usually the brand is placed on the rump of the skin near the tail. Secondly, when processing raw materials, the skins are put on special rules, and in the rump part they are clogged with carnations for stretching. Thirdly, holes that have arisen during the technological operation are very common - editing the fur cut. At different industries, dressing is done either manually with pegs or with the help of an air gun. After straightening the product, holes remain along the entire vertical seam of the product. The presence of holes does not lead to a decrease in the wear of the product and is not a marriage.

What are the types of mink?

Russian mink has a high outer hair and a thick high underfur, as a result of which the product is very warm, but somewhat shaggy.

scandinavian mink - the most common on the planet. Its quantity makes up 80% of the world market of bred mink. The main features are an even awn of medium height and dense underfur. Within the group, both higher fur (Finnish selection, SAGA FURS marking) and short fur (Danish selection, KOPENHAGEN FURS marking) can be found. There is a very rare variety of the Finnish mink - the "polar" mink. This is a brown, strongly ridged mink with a very high underfur and a very high awn, which in appearance is more like a sable.

North American mink - low-pile mink with a natural velvet effect, since the low silky awn is almost hidden in a dense, dense and high underfur. There is a "super-short hair" when the outer hair is below the underfur and the mink has a plucked appearance. High quality and small quantity in the world market provided this mink with an exclusive place and a high price niche. North American mink can be of two quality systems: American (AMERICAN LEGEND®MINK brand) and Canadian (NAFA®MINK brand). The best black mink in both cases has its own name: American - BLACKGLAMA®, and Canadian - BLACK NAFA®.

The American mink is an ideal subject for breeding transformations, because. in its genes carries a huge number of mutations responsible for the color of the fur. The natural palette of bred mink is very large: from white to black, through all brown and gray-blue tones.

The most common mink color is brown. Its shades make up more than half of the color variations of mink. Natural black mink (Finnish name "scanblack"), like all naturally black fur, is actually just a very dark brown. This is noticeable when comparing it with dyed black furs, leather and fabric. Dark brown mink - Russian STK ("standard dark brown"), and Scandinavian and American "mahogany" ("mahogany") is a symbol of the classic mink coat. Variations of the "wild type" repeat the original natural color - brown with a dark ridge. This color has the most official and "folk" names: "wild", "demi-buff", "nut", "dark pastel". The light tones of the Finnish wild-type mink are called "scanglow", the dark ones are called "scanbrown". Light gray-brown color is called "pastel" ("pastel"). "Lavender" ("lavender") has a light lilac hue and light underfur.

The next group is gray-blue colors. The undisputed leader of this group is the blue mink "sapphire" ("sapphire") and its rare light mutation "violet" ("violet"). This group includes the well-known "silver blue" and rare in Russia gray mink "iris" ("blue iris").

White (white) mink, very popular this season, is a rare guest on Russian streets. Much more often you can find darker shades - light beige "pearl" ("pearl") and gray-beige "topaz" ("palomino").

Now on the market there are a large number of different color mutations. The most common of these is the "black cross" mink, in which the black hair of the ridge forms a bright cross on the white skin in the "shoulders" area. Rare variations of the cross are very beautiful - blue ("sapphire cross") and pastel ("pastel cross"). The color "jaguar" ("jaguar") resembles a traditional cow - white with black spots. There are extremely rare mutations of mink, whose world number can be limited to hundreds of skins, for example: gray mink with tiny white patches - "stardust" ("stardust"), or marble ("marble") mink - dark yellow with chocolate stains.

Fur auctions.

In the international fur business, more than 95% of raw furs are sold through auctions. The auction most accurately takes into account the market demand / supply for furs and forms a fair price for the product. Auctions are a specific form of fur sales that require the creation and maintenance of a certain infrastructure (specialized buildings, warehouses, highly qualified personnel, etc.). The principles of their work are basically the same and are regulated by the conditions of auction sales. There are five main fur auction centers in the world: Kopenhagen Fur (Denmark), Finnish Fur Sales (Finland), NAFA (Canada), American Legend (USA) and Soyuzpushnina (Russia).

Each auction site for the sale of furs is proud of its sorting. What is better, what is worse, market experts urge not to divide. In their opinion, there are two main models of sorting systems: Russian and Western. Each has its pros and cons.

The sorting system of Soyuzpushnina, the only fur auction in Russia, is very different from the systems of auctions in Copenhagen, Helsinki, Toronto and Seattle. The difference lies in the depth and technical side of the process.

Such a basic sort indicator as size is defined in different ways. Russian experts do this from the intereye to the base of the tail, and everyone else measures from the nose.
In addition, in Europe, sorting is “from one skin”, that is, lots are formed from the same product brought from different farms. In Russia, sorting is “out of rebellion”: fur farms bring skins already distributed into groups to the auction.

If we compare the sorting system of Copenhagen and Helsinki, they are almost identical. According to experts, the only difference is that they have different sorting machines. Each auction considers its equipment to be the most modern.

The North American Fur Auctions (NAFA) and the former Seattle Fur Auction - American Legend Cooperative - differ from European auctions in terms of merchandise.

Fur auction preparations begin a few months before the upcoming auction. Suppliers of goods wishing to sell them at auction deliver them to the warehouse of the auction company. The specialists of the auction company sort and select the goods according to possibly homogeneous qualitative characteristics. The sorted goods are divided into batches - lots. Each lot is made up of goods of uniform quality. Then, each lot is assigned a number, under which it is entered in the auction catalog with an indication of the type and number of units of goods in this lot. Lots similar in terms of quality usually go side by side, forming rows (thongs). A sample (show lot) is taken from each lot or string, which, according to all quality characteristics, must correspond to the goods in this lot or string. The sale of goods at auction is carried out according to the catalog according to the numbering.

Simultaneously with the preparation of lots and samples, a catalog is being prepared, which contains a list of all lots offered for sale at the auction. The catalog publishes a table of contents (with a designation of the total number of different types of furs intended for sale), conditions for the auction sale (they indicate the procedure for inspecting goods, the procedure for selling and fixing prices, the procedure for concluding contracts, etc.), the date of opening of the auction and its duration, the place of the auction, the time set for the inspection of the goods, the time of the auction, as well as the last day of payment for the purchased goods. Auction companies send information to regular and potential buyers about the approximate range and quantity of goods offered at the auction.

Inspection of goods by buyers is the second stage of the auction. Inspection usually begins 3-5 days before the opening of the auction. A preliminary inspection of the goods is mandatory, since, according to the terms of the auction, claims in the event of defects in the goods (except for hidden ones) are not accepted after purchase. Inspection of goods is carried out in special rooms, where samples selected from each lot (show lots) are placed. Buyers carefully examine them and make marks in the catalog about the lots they like and the price they could pay for them. If desired, the buyer can get acquainted not only with samples, but with the entire lot.

The third stage of the auction is the auction. It opens on a predetermined day and hour and is usually held in a special auction room. At the table on the dais in front of the buyers is the presidium of the auction - the auctioneer leading the sale, and his assistants, whose task is to monitor the behavior of buyers participating in the auction. A board is installed in the auction room, which usually displays the serial number of the lot offered for sale, the name of the product, the page number in the catalog and the price of the last lot sold. Customers are seated at separate tables or rows arranged in an amphitheatre. The number under which he is registered at this auction is set before the buyer.
Bidding at international fur auctions is conducted in English. The auctioneer announces the number of the lot offered for sale and names the starting price, which is usually an approximate market price. By raising their hands, buyers name their price, and the auctioneer continues to increase it until the bids stop coming, after which the lot goes to the buyer who named the highest price. If several buyers simultaneously offered the same price and do not agree to raise it, the right to decide who will receive the disputed lot remains with the auctioneer. If none of the buyers gives him a sign by raising his hand or a pencil, nodding his head or shouting "yes" about his agreement to buy the item, the auctioneer gradually reduces the price to a certain set limit, after which the lot is removed from the auction. The increase or decrease in the price goes according to the established intervals (bids).